WHITEMARSH — Plymouth Whitemarsh can breathe free and clear after defeating Wissahickon 74-56, thanks to a second half surge that gave PW a lead they would never cough up.

The wintery weather did nothing to hinder Friday night’s matchup, and despite Wisshickon’s shortened day at school, the players loaded the bus and traveled to Colonial Elementary to face off against the PW Colonials (4-5). The Trojans (8-1) were coming off a sluggish loss against Perkiomen Valley on Wednesday and hoped to bounce back with renewed vigor.

“This game was a must-win for us,” said PW guard, Anthony McKie, who scored 29 points in the game.

Tight, fast play defined the first half, with both McKie and Wissahickon guard, Chase Wilson, paving the way for their squads, scoring 15 and 14 respectively. PW grew a five-point-lead at the end of the first quarter into a nine point cushion in the second, but Wissahickon bounced back with ten straight points to take the lead, 28-27.

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At the end of the first half, PW regained and led by one.

“I didn’t expect any game at the end of the season to be easy,” said Wissahickon coach, Kyle Wilson. “We’re fighting for wins every night we play.”

In the second half, PW had all the pace as Wissahickon came out on tired legs. PW went on 14-2 run early, and gained a lead that allowed them to coast to victory. Many of Wissahickon’s players were inundated with the flu; two captains of the team, Gordon Bentley and Dylan Doskicz, didn’t start. Chase Wilson, who was also ill and only scored five points on Wednesday, scored 27 and guarded the explosive McKie for much of the game.

“I just took my medicine before the game, kept hydrated, took some cough drops and gave it my all,” Wilson said.

Coach Kyle Wilson threw defenders on McKie who played so closely they were practically attached at the hip. Running through double screens, McKie was able to find open players and sink big shots to keep the ailing Trojans at bay.

“We know how good he is, he was first team all league last year,” Wilson said of McKie. “The plan was to make someone beat us other than him.”

“I try to pace myself and score within the game, because it tends to bring a lot of attention,” McKie said. “When they face guard me, guys have to cut and make plays.”

Jesse Hunsicker of the Trojans had 15 rebounds to go with his 14 points and Colonial Andre Mitchell had 14 points.

“I’m just really proud of my guys tonight,” Wilson said. “We had players that don’t see a lot of action logging big minutes, but it was one of those nights where they were the better team.”